The Infinite Bestie Determination
by ljkwriting4life
Summary: Just before Penny gets hit in the face with Amy's handbag of coins, she tells Bernadette she's on her way to go with Leonard to [see him give] a physics lecture. Well, with the coins and Penny's busted-up face, that definitely doesn't happen! [Set during the 'Parking Spot Escalation', which happens to be right after 'The 43 Peculiarity' - covers both - Lenny fluff! Enjoy! :-D]
1. Chapter 1

The Infinite Bestie Determination

By: Leese

Rating: T (low-level course language and adult themes)

Summary: Just before Penny gets hit in the face with Amy's handbag of coins, she tells Bernadette that she is on her way to go with Leonard to a physics lecture. I originally internalized that as 'she is on her way to watch Leonard give a physics lecture'. Well, with the coins and all, that definitely doesn't happen!

Set during the 'Parking Spot Escalation', which just happens to be right after 'The 43 Peculiarity'…it kind of covers both. (Lenny fluff!)

****

"Oh God, oh God, oh God!" Penny groaned as she lay on the hospital bed still clutching her nose, though she sounded more like 'ogob, ogob, ogob!' It was all thanks to Amy and the petite blonde beside her. Bernadette's bag of frozen peas had accompanied them to the emergency room, but had been removed as soon as blood had started pouring from what Penny could only assume was some horrendous, disfiguring wound, since it hurt like a goddamn bitch!

"Tilt your head back," Bernadette said as she stood beside Penny and forced her to do just that with one hand. Her other was holding several damp tissues stained with water and blood to clean Penny's face.

"Ow, stop it! Where are they? Why have they left me here?" Penny asked, near tears as she tried to speak and not choke on her own blood as it trickled down the back of her throat. "Oh…disgusting!" she said as she spluttered. It came out as 'dizgubbing', and made her hate herself a little bit.

"Maybe if we got Amy in she could help-"

"No!" Penny said quickly. "I just wanna know if it's broken."

"I'm sure everything will be okay, they'll have you in x-ray before you know it. You should try not to talk, Penny."

"But it huuuurts," she whined. This was a level of pain she had not experienced since dislocating her shoulder. Actually, it was worse because it was right there in her face. She really felt like someone should know about it.

"I know, but it's hard to understand you with your n-"

"Bernie!" Penny whined as she squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted to say more in protest but she really couldn't, and Bernadette was right; Penny barely understood herself out loud. It was embarrassing.

However, this really was horrible. She was an actress in Los Angeles, which everyone knew was insanely judge-y. She was not currently successful and had no high-quality reputation to fall back on. If her nose was broken this could have actual consequences for her for a really long time. It wasn't the same as a physicist breaking their nose. What if she ended up with a crooked or bumpy nose forever? What if every casting director thought she was ugly? Or what if they looked at her and said, 'we're not sure sweetie, there's something about you that isn't 'quite' right'? What was she going to do?

"Worz day eba!" she proclaimed as she opened her eyes, exasperated by the delay, and looked at the ceiling. Bernadette was still very patiently wiping blood off her face while Penny coughed and wondered if anyone had ever technically drowned from having their head tipped back during a nosebleed.

"It's nearly stopped," Bernadette assured her.

"The pain hasn't!" Penny huffed. She hated that she couldn't screw her face up when half of it felt like it was missing. Tears filled her eyes and she struggled not to cry. Her nose really, really hurt. Breathing was hard, her lungs burned, her whole face felt tight and fiery. Her stomach churned with nausea and she had a handbag of Amy's coins to thank for it! This was not what she'd had in mind for her night, it wasn't- "Oh no," Penny whispered. "No-no-no."

"What?" Bernadette asked.

"Leonard's lecture, I'm not there! He's going to think I stood him up. This sucks. I can't do that to him." She fought down a sob when she shut her eyes and imagined his disappointed face as he searched the lecture theatre for her.

Penny had promised to meet him there, she had even sent him a text message earlier in the day to confirm the time and place. He had replied with two smiley faces and her heart had melted; she had found herself smiling into her phone. Since Penny had said 'I love you' the previous week she had been surfing on a wave of affection for Leonard. She had never thought of herself as a sappy, emotional person. Leonard had never seen her like that either. She had never let him.

Well, that was over. Penny was still the least outwardly emotional person in the relationship, but she was easing up and letting Leonard see more of herself. It was definitely still scary; she loved him almost too completely, and so every time she told Leonard 'I love you', her stomach flip-flopped and she held her breath as though he might laugh. Yet at the same time, Penny did feel like she had been freed. She felt safer, and lighter. He hadn't laughed.

It was almost as though Leonard had more confidence in her, too, or perhaps he had more confidence in himself around her. It was only evident in the little things between them. For example, when Leonard had invited her to this lecture that she was now going to miss, he hadn't said, 'Oh hey Penny, you probably won't be into this but I'm giving this lecture and you can come if you want? I mean I'd really like that.' Instead, he had said, 'Oh hey beautiful, I'm giving a lecture after work in a few days and I'm really pretty excited about it. I know it's not exactly your perfect night out, but do you want to come?'

Maybe those two requests didn't sound very different, but she knew Leonard. It wasn't just what he said, and it wasn't even that in example number two he had called her beautiful; it was how he had said it. He had looked straight into her eyes, his smile had been direct, and his eyes had danced with a confident sort of joy she hadn't always seen there. How could she say no to that?

"He's going to look for me and I'm not there," Penny wept.

"Do you want me to call him?" Bernadette asked. Penny shook her head.

She did not think she would hold it together if that happened. She would become a blubbering mess if Leonard arrived and got upset (which he totally would) and it would make the pain so much worse. Then she would snap at him because she wanted to hold it together, and then they would fight, just because he was being a sweetheart and trying to take care of her, and she couldn't handle that level of vulnerability. She had to get over that, she did love him and she didn't want to be the one to ruin the best relationship she would ever have, certainly not in a crummy hospital emergency room with her face half bashed-in thanks to Amy and Bernadette and a stupid parking spot!

Besides, Leonard had said that he was really excited about the lecture, and if he knew where she was, one of three things would happen. One, he would leave the lecture and miss the opportunity completely, and Penny would feel so guilty! Two, he would stay and speak but he would be completely distracted and might screw up with work or other visiting academics who were there, and that would be awful for him. Or three, and worst of all, he would stay and not care and be totally awesome in his speech, and then Penny would feel lonely and confused, and like this whole 'I love you' thing had been nothing but a fleeting experiment that failed miserably. The possibility terrified her even though she knew Leonard would never do that to her, or to them.

They really were a 'them', Penny realised as she lay clutching her bleeding, probably broken nose. She couldn't pretend that they weren't a team. This was it, the two of them against the world…and Sheldon. Leonard was 'the one', and he had made it very clear how happy he was about that. Their daily, not-very-fairytale version of lovers was still pretty frellin' good, too. Dammit.

"Please don't call him," Penny whispered as a tear trickled out of her closed eyes. She only knew it was there because it felt like hot lava sliding down her rapidly swelling and bruising face. "He'll come here."

"Don't you want him to?" Bernadette asked.

Desperately, Penny thought, but she forced herself to shake her head.

"It's his lecture," she mumbled. "It's so important and he was looking forward to it. I don't want him to ditch that for all of this fun we're having wiping blood off Penny's face."

"And your neck," Bernadette said softly as she wet another tissue in the little cup of water beside the emergency room bed and began her next task. Penny groaned. At least she was wearing a red blouse and red pants, it made the blood less obvious, but they were probably still ruined anyway. "I'm really sorry Penny," Bernadette added. "Amy is sorry too. We should never have gotten involved in the guys' argument about a stupid parking space…it's so unimportant, and petty, and we've hurt you, you've got a broken nose, and-"

"I'm trying not to think about it," Penny muttered. "Do I still have a nose?"

"Well, under that tight grasp of yours, yes you do!" Bernadette said hopefully.

That's something, Penny thought as she sighed and rolled her eyes. Suddenly she realised that she was breathing a little easier, or she had stopped gagging. Blood was no longer trickling down her throat.

"I think it stopped bleeding," she said. It still sounded like, 'I fing i' stob beebing', but it was close enough; Bernadette should know what she meant!

"Great!" Bernadette said. "Can I go and tell Amy that you're okay, and also I'll find a nurse and see what's keeping them? They did say there was a back-up in radiography tonight, but I'm sure it won't be long."

"See if you can steal some painkillers," Penny said. "Strong ones." She continued to hold her hands over her nose; she could not bring herself to let it go. What if it was so badly broken that it just fell apart? What if she started bleeding again? How much blood was a safe amount to lose in one go?

"Okay," Bernadette said softly, but not at all convincingly, as she put the last of the tissues in the nearby bin.

Bernadette went to the toilet first, to wash Penny's blood off her hands and out from underneath her fingernails. It didn't bother her so much, but it wasn't pleasant. On her way out she found a nurse and told them that the woman with the suspected broken nose in Bay 3 wasn't bleeding anymore and discovered that they were still in the lengthy radiography queue. Bernadette then hurried to the waiting area, where she saw Amy sitting in a corner with her shoulders hunched more than usual, and her head downcast as she held her phone in her trembling hands.

"Hey Amy," Bernadette said softly. They really hadn't spoken since they all piled into the car and Penny told them both to shut up. "I'm so sorry-"

"Is she okay?" Amy asked quickly and stood. "I just texted Leonard, and-"

"What?" Bernadette gasped. "Oh no, no, Penny doesn't want him here!"

"But he's her boyfriend," Amy said obviously. "I broke her nose! I had to tell him-"

"Give me the phone," Bernadette said. She read the text message on the screen. "Amy! He's going to be really worried!"

"Sorry," Amy said, but Bernadette didn't have time for that. They could apologise properly later. Maybe they could all go out to dinner together. This was way more important. With Amy's phone in her hands, she found Leonard's number and called him. This was no time for text messages.

Leonard was flustered when his phone rang, and he immediately panicked. He had just sent Amy a text message to tell Penny he was on his way, and he had been halfway to the door before he remembered his lecture. He would have to send an email to cancel, or postpone, or something like that. This had never happened before. How was he supposed to get out of giving a lecture half an hour before he was meant to start it? Did he call someone? What about everyone attending? This would go down badly at work.

But it was Penny, and all Amy's message said was that she and Bernadette had taken Penny to the emergency room with a facial injury and not to worry, because Penny hadn't started bleeding until they arrived. Like bleeding anytime was a good thing!

He was halfway out of his mind by the time he snatched at his phone, hoping it was Amy so that he could get more information out of her.

"Hello?" he asked, breathless. Where was his inhaler? He hurriedly loosened his tie and looked around the office, trying to spot its hiding place.

"Leonard, it's Bernadette," she said. "Firstly, relax and breathe. Secondly, Penny is okay."

"It doesn't sound like it! What happened?"

"There was an incident at my place…she was hit in the face with a handbag. She might have a broken nose. I'm sure it looks worse than it is-"

"Amy said she was bleeding-"

"Yeah, she got a pretty nasty nosebleed. She's okay though, it's stopped now. She's going to get an x-ray soon and they will reset it if they need to."

"I'm on my way, I just have to-"

"No, stop," Bernadette said firmly. "I just spoke to Penny, and she said that this lecture is really important to you and she doesn't want you to miss it. She'll hate herself if you cancel, so I think what you should do is turn your phone off, do the lecture, and then turn it back on to find out how she is, and leave straight away. How long does the lecture go for? She might be discharged by then."

"I need to be there for her-"

"You can be," Bernadette assured him. "This isn't going to be fixed in the next few hours, she's a mess and she'll need you. Trust me Leonard, Penny wants you to do the lecture first. She's being really brave."

Leonard leant on the edge of his desk and tried to work out how he felt about this. He was still terrified, and he felt sick that Penny was in the hospital and he wasn't there because he had this stupid work thing which, when it came to a choice between Penny and work, well, work kind of came off second best.

Then he smiled, because six years ago he never would have thought that he would be the type of guy who would even get the opportunity to pick a girl over science. Not just any girl either, but the strong, ballsy, beautiful girl who moved in across the hall. He would stay as she asked, but he still chose her.

"Is she really okay?" he asked Bernadette in earnest.

"She's not great," Bernadette replied honestly. "But she's doing better now, and Amy and I are here with her. We won't leave her, I promise. She was really insistent that you not come, so that you can give your lecture. She said you were excited about it, so you are giving the lecture, is that understood?"

"Yes," Leonard whispered, sucking in a wheezy breath. "Are you sure?" he asked one more time. "Can I talk to her?"

"She can't hold the phone, she's currently got an iron-grip on her nose in a bed down the hall, and she's as incoherent as a toddler with a head cold, but I can give her a message from you, if you like?"

"Okay," Leonard said. His brain raced ahead, trying to think of what he could say. He wanted to be there, but Bernadette was right. Leonard could be there later that night, and the next day, and the day after that. He planned on being with Penny forever…not that he ever told her that. They were still moving forward in baby steps, even if Penny already knew where they were headed; how could she not know? She simply panicked at the prospect of forever.

Still, Penny was changing. It wasn't just that she had finally admitted her feelings for him. It was that a few years ago, she might have begged him to come to the hospital no matter what, but now she truly was willing to forgo that personal comfort just because she knew how much effort he had put into preparing his lecture. Leonard had even practised it for her the previous night, she had stayed awake and mostly paid attention, and she was still willing to come and watch him do it all over again. That was love. She loved him. All he had ever wanted was someone to deeply love him, and it was Penny…Penny!

Christ Leonard, don't cry again, he told himself as tears filled his eyes and he reached underneath his glasses with his free hand to scrub them away.

"Leonard?" Bernadette asked softly.

"Um, yeah I'm here," he said on a huff. "Just tell her that I'll do the lecture, and I'll be there as soon as I can, and that I love her so, so much."

"I'll tell her," Bernadette said. "Good luck, I'm sure you'll do great."

Leonard hung up and regretfully turned his phone off. It needed to be done, he did not want to be distracted by the vibration in his pocket while he spoke; his mind was shaken enough. He finally located his inhaler in his briefcase and took a puff, all the while doing his best to calm his racing heart and just 'be'. However, he still thought about Penny, and he felt incredibly guilty.

He felt guilty because he had been selfish in the week since she said 'I love you' in the heat of the moment. Ever since, Leonard had let Penny initiate that exchange. That first night when they were in bed after her shift, she was the one who had looked him in the eyes and said 'I love you' again, so sincerely that it made both of them cry before he was even able to respond. Leonard hadn't said it first since. He had considered it good practice for Penny, and he had been trying to let her set the pace. He had not wanted to come across as one of those guys that showered her with 'I love you' over and over again until it became meaningless and insincere. He had gotten so good at stopping himself from blurting it out. He wanted to let her see that those words were special to him; Penny was special and he took her seriously.

It sounded like a good idea at the time, and Leonard had been congratulating himself on how much more comfortable Penny seemed since she got those feelings off her chest and out into the world. And yet, the fact she had been rushed to an emergency room made him reconsider how valuable that decision had been. If her injuries had been more serious, if it had been one of those life-altering situations that he never wanted to happen and did not even want to admit might happen, had he told her that he loved her at all that day?

Nope.

Leonard had said it the day before, but again it had been sort of tongue-in-cheek. After he had finished practising his lecture, Penny had rolled her eyes and let out a sigh of great relief and announced, 'I love you but Jeez Louise that was long!' Leonard had replied with a chuckle and a smirky, sing-song, 'I love you too'. Penny had stuck her tongue out at him. It had been playful and light, but this was not a playful and light situation anymore. This was one of those times that Leonard desperately wanted Penny to know, sincerely, that he loved her. He was in love with her. She didn't need to say it back.

He could picture her unimpressed face at the idea that he was getting sappy and thinking about what he might regret, when he should have been preparing for this lecture that she was going to miss, but that she felt was so important to him. She wanted the evening to go well for him, so Leonard had to do a good job. He had to focus. He wanted to be able to go to the hospital afterwards and when she asked him, 'How was your lecture?' he wanted to be able to smile and say that it went well, that he got asked a good question, and that he was glad he got the chance to do it. She would like that, he hoped.

It was nearly three hours before Leonard turned the phone back on. He had indeed gotten a good question, in fact he had gotten several, and a few other scientists had hung around afterwards to talk to him at the front of the lecture hall. Leonard had felt time dragging on, and on, and on, and every minute felt like an hour, to the point where he had stopped this last guy in the middle of a question and said, 'I'm really sorry but I actually have to go. We had a family emergency today, and it's really important I get home on time.' They had all nodded and immediately backed-off, eyes wide, perhaps a little shocked.

Leonard had only been shocked that he had just used the words 'we had a family emergency'. They were a 'we' and Penny was family and this was kind of an emergency, but it felt strange to say it. It was almost like he was a grown-up who had real, adult-sized problems. Leonard did not always feel that way about his life, so oddly, it was nice. He knew he had definitely matured. Penny had too. At the very least, they were working at it. The fact they were still together and stronger together, in spite of and also because of that growth, only solidified in his mind that they were meant to be.

Leonard turned his phone on as soon as he was back in his office, only to see three messages from Bernadette. His heart hammered.

'Penny says to say good luck and you'll do great. She said to add two smiley faces so here they are :-) :-)'

Leonard grinned. He had sent her two of those little fellas that afternoon, and it seemed she had taken notice and even appreciated them. That was sweet.

Then the second message, 'IT'S NOT BROKEN!'

Finally, the third, which had only been sent half an hour ago, 'We are taking Penny back to her apartment. Meet us there (if she hasn't kicked us out by then…we kind of caused this, sorry).'

Leonard quickly texted back, 'It's okay I'm on my way', and hurriedly packed up for the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Over in Pasadena, Penny was feeling pretty good about having the place to herself. Amy felt so guilty about hitting Penny in the face that she had needed no convincing to leave almost as soon as they got home. However, Bernadette had resisted until Leonard had messaged her back, because apparently it wouldn't be right to leave Penny without knowing that someone else was on their way to take care of her. Leonard was no ordinary someone, and okay, she was doped to the eyeballs and her brain and face both felt like giant puffy marshmallows, but it was still infuriating. Finally, Bernadette's phone had beeped.

"It's Leonard," Bernadette had announced to Penny, who was sprawled along her couch with a packet of frozen beans on her face.

"Is he coming?" she groaned. Please say yes, please say yes, she thought.

"He sure is!" Bernadette said, doing her best to sound enthusiastic, but the truth was they were both exhausted.

"Good, go away," Penny ordered. "I can take it from here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeeees." Penny nearly sobbed. She just wanted some peace and quiet, and she wanted to go into her bedroom and lie in the dark and not come out again until she looked halfway human.

"Okay then," Bernadette said. She gathered her things and Penny moved the frozen beans long enough to open her swollen eyes and glance at her friend.

"Bernadette," she said. "Thank you."

Penny tried to smile sincerely but half her face was numb and swollen, so she was not sure if she pulled it off. Bernadette seemed to understand, though.

"It's okay," she whispered. "If you need anything, call me. Again, I'm so sorry-"

"It's okay, just make up with Amy, make sure she's okay," Penny insisted, before returning her cold beans to her face and shutting her eyes. She started to hum a song to herself, then swore when she realised it was 'Soft Kitty'. That song would never be out of her head, it was stored up there for eternity and she had Sheldon to thank for it. At least Leonard knew it off by heart too, she caught him humming it sometimes; they could be pathetic together.

"Screw it, this kitty's gonna have a bath," she added as an afterthought, but when no one replied she realised that Bernadette had already left. Terrific, Penny thought as she forced her body off the couch and in the direction of her bedroom and ensuite.

The bathtub was precisely where Leonard found her upon his return. He had let himself in with a modest, 'Hello?' and when he saw no evidence of Bernadette or Amy, had decided that Penny had to be in bed. She wasn't, but the door to the bathroom was ajar and he heard a little cough and the quiet sounds of water moving, and he knew exactly where she was.

"Penny, honey?" he asked in a soft voice. "Can I come in?"

"Toooootally," was the reply, and Leonard chuckled. She was clearly on painkillers, and at least that meant she would likely get a good night's sleep.

"Having a bath?" Leonard asked as he pushed the door open the rest of the way. Penny was reclined in the tub with her head tipped back against a towel, which had partially slipped into the water around her neck and shoulders anyway. Her eyes were shut and she was breathing through her mouth; it sounded more like asthmatic wheezing and that worried him. But what startled Leonard even more was the fact the water was pink, and Penny was casually reaching up to wipe drops of blood from her nose as though it was nothing.

Her nose was taped, and other than the blood and swelling the nose itself did not look too bad. It definitely was not pushed out of shape. It was the bruising and puffiness that had come up around both cheeks and eyes that was the worst. Penny had clearly copped the bag directly in the middle of her face.

"Oh sweetheart," Leonard whispered helplessly. He reached for a small hand towel, which was about to be justifiably ruined.

"Mm," Penny hummed. She smiled when she heard Leonard remove his jacket and tie, and roll up his sleeves. She bit her bottom lip as he leant down and slid an arm along her back and shoulders. He hauled her up just enough so that her head tipped back more against the towel and the edge of the bath. "Aw man, not this angle again! What's up with that?" Penny whined.

Leonard laughed softly. With his free hand he dropped the hand towel, reached up to push some blood-stained blonde hair off her pale face, and then picked the towel up once again to begin one of the least attractive and yet oddly sexual tasks he could possibly think of; giving Penny a sponge-bath.

"What happened?" Penny asked when she heard the towel being dropped into the warm water and then felt the fabric being rubbed gently over her face. "Oh yeeeah," she answered for herself. "The steam, my nose, abracadabra, it's not blocked anymore, tada!"

"That's a pretty cool magic trick," Leonard said. "Does it hurt?"

"No, they gave me pills! But I think they wear off because it hurts again now. Sooo ouchie."

"I'm so sorry, honey."

"Also, I'm about to cough up a little blood. I'm sure that'll really turn you on."

"You bet," Leonard said, responding to her self-berating sarcasm with a smirk.

"Had to have a bath," she told him tiredly as she coughed and wiped self-consciously at her mouth. The words that came out of that mouth, however, were not self-conscious at all. "Needed to get the blood off me. So much friggin' blood. Red clothes, ruined! Bernadette did my face and neck but I found some in my breasts and down my back and it's sooooo disgusting."

"We just need to stop this current bleed and you'll be all clean," he said. He finally understood what Bernadette had said about a toddler with a head cold, but she would be more comprehensible when they stopped the nosebleed. He lifted one of Penny's hands and she regretfully returned it to the hateful task of pinching her tender nose. "It's not broken, Penny?" Leonard asked.

"No, just swollen and purple and ugly."

"It's okay, it might take awhile but it will get better," Leonard promised her. He knew that from experience. He had been beaten up before, and he knew how much getting smacked right on the face hurt. The nasty bruising lingered, too. The black eyes were the worst.

They drifted into silence as they waited for Penny's nose to stop bleeding. Leonard was kneeling on the tiles still holding onto her, while she had her eyes closed and her head tilted back on the porcelain tub. They were both uncomfortable, but neither moved. The only sounds were the water gently shifting every time Penny flexed a leg, and the sound of their breathing. It was peaceful, and despite her wheezy breaths Leonard thought that Penny was being uncharacteristically patient with it. He had to wonder whether it was the drugs or whether she was just exhausted. Either way, he did not want her falling asleep in the tub because he wasn't sure he could get her out on his own.

"Still with me?" he asked eventually.

"Mm," she said. She rolled her head towards him and opened an eye between her swollen cheek and nose. Leonard was surprised to see it full of tears. "This really hurts Leonard," she added on an emotional whisper. "I'm scared."

"I know, but you're safe and it's nearly time to sleep. We'll get you dry and warm and into bed," he promised her. "The nose, let see us. Hands, remove."

"Are you being Yoda?" Penny asked suspiciously as Leonard helped her sit up a little higher. She still could not let go of her face.

"I'm just checking how your comprehension is after whatever pills you took in hospital. Judging by how quickly you picked that up, you may need more."

"Leonard, on my dresser, they are. And yes, pain is great," she teased with a snuffle as she released the bridge of her nose and allowed Leonard to wipe at it with the warm towel. It was only then that Penny got a good look at the pink water of the tub, and she groaned and rubbed her forehead. "I'm so sorry," she said. "This is so gross. You'll never get this awful bath out of your head."

"Yes I will," Leonard said. "Are you up to giving me the short version of what happened?" he asked.

While Penny prepared to talk and adapted to breathing now that her nose had stopped bleeding, Leonard reached down by her feet and removed the plug. The pink water started gurgling down the drain as though it never existed, and Leonard used the washer to dab the last few trickles of crimson from her face. She closed her eyes and sat still, even as the water drained and she shivered. This was incredibly intimate, Leonard realised. Penny was naked and bleeding and she didn't even care. She trusted him that much. Wow.

"It was an accident," Penny eventually said. "They were arguing over the stupid parking spot. Bernadette had Amy's car towed from the university and it got catty and I was standing between them. Amy swung, and I got hit with her giant handbag. She had a tin of coins in it, Leonard. Metal hit me in the face!"

"Who keeps a tin of coins in their…wait no, don't answer that. You're probably lucky that your nose and probably your cheekbones aren't fractured."

"That's what the doctor said," Penny said as Leonard helped her stand in the last inch of water. He made sure she climbed out of the tub safely before sitting her on the edge and handing her a towel. "Thank you," Penny whispered as she started to dry herself. She at least could maintain that level of dignity. "Could you get me a glass of water please?" she asked. "For more pills?"

Honestly, she just wanted to try to get dry and into her pyjamas on her own. She hadn't meant to still be in the tub when Leonard returned, but then she had felt her nose become unblocked and had been afraid to move, knowing that she was all by herself. What happened if she slipped, or fainted? Penny had wanted to be in bed so that Leonard didn't worry, but that plan had failed and so now she was embarrassed, and tired, and chilly, and all tingly…

"Yeah, I definitely need to be in bed," she whispered to herself.

Somehow, slowly, she did manage to dress herself without passing out before Leonard returned. Or perhaps he had been standing in the hallway watching her and waiting for her to finish, because he knew she wanted to do just this one thing on her own. If that was the case, it was sweet. In any case, he took a really long time bringing her a glass of water.

Leonard smiled as he watched Penny sit on the edge of the bed and look up at him.

"Here," he said as he brought the glass to her and eased it into her hands. He found her packet of painkillers, squinted at the label under the lamp and realised how strong they were. "How many of these did you take a few hours ago?" he asked.

"Um…two. At the hospital. Bernadette counted them for me, cos I'm stupid."

"You're not stupid, Penny," Leonard said in earnest under his breath. He re-read the label, then cautiously broke one tablet in half and handed it to her. The room was almost dark but for the lamp and the light from the bathroom, and Penny's vision could not have been very good with all the swelling. She took the half-tablet, sipped slowly on her water, and then put the glass on her side table for later. Once she was done, Leonard switched off the lamp so that the only light came from the bathroom, with the ensuite door still ajar.

"How was your lecture?" Penny asked as Leonard pulled back the covers.

"Good," he said. "I talked to Bernadette and she said you wanted me to do it?"

"I didn't want to bleed all over you in hospital, but I think I made up for that just now. Also, I thought you might throw up if you saw me, I didn't want you to be sick too."

"Believe me, I've had a lot of nosebleeds," Leonard said with a chuckle.

"It's not a competition!" Penny huffed, doing her best to pout.

"I know," Leonard said more gently. "I just meant it doesn't bother me, Penny."

"Oh. Good. Cos it bothers the hell out of me. I just realised if I lie down and it starts again I'm not gonna be able to breathe. I can barely breathe now."

"We'll pile up a lot of pillows and sleep sitting up," Leonard suggested. He put his plan into action without waiting for her go-ahead. He took off his business shirt and shoes and pants and remained in just his t-shirt, shorts and socks. Then he started rearranging her pillows. Penny really didn't care what position she slept in as long as she didn't suffocate or choke on her own blood in the night. Leonard would make sure that she didn't, she told herself. Right?

Maybe there was just one thing to check first, and then she could relax.

"Are you mad at me?" Penny asked suddenly.

"Of course I'm not mad at you," Leonard said. He moved back to her and crouched down to hold onto her trembling knees through her robe. "What makes you think I'd be mad?"

"Cos I said not to come to the hospital, even though I really, really wanted you there. This wasn't me pushing you away. Please believe me. I really wanted you, Leonard."

"I know you did," Leonard whispered. His eyes filled with tears when he heard her voice crack under the strain of the evening, but they were not allowed to cry. If Penny got emotional her sinuses would try to stab her from the inside out, and her tears would feel like acid on her bruises. Again, he knew from personal experience. He couldn't put her through it. "It's okay Penny," Leonard assured her softly. "Bernadette told me why you didn't want me at the hospital, and it meant a lot that even when you thought you'd broken your nose and you were in a lot of pain, you wanted to look after me too. It was torture getting through the lecture knowing that you were hurt, you're stronger than me to have asked me to do it, but that's done now and you are going to let me look after you until you feel better. I'm putting my foot down, okay?"

"Okay, foot-man," Penny said. She shut her eyes. Leonard smirked.

"Wow, you are really tired huh?" he asked. She hadn't even fought him on it.

"Yes," she said on a sigh. "That and I really love you baby."

"I love you too," Leonard said hurriedly as he again realised he hadn't said it yet that day, even though he had been thinking it all night, and again, she had initiated. Now that Penny was comfortable with it, he had to work harder at striking a balance. Leonard didn't need to be afraid of those words anymore, and he didn't need to hold them in. "I can't believe you got hit in the face with a swinging handbag," he mumbled in the meantime, as he helped her to sit back against the pillows. "Were Bernadette and Amy apologetic, at least?"

"Embarrassingly so," Penny said as she shifted around to get comfortable. "You're staying here tonight, right?" she asked. "Because I'm sad for me, and I want cuddles and I say I love you like all the time now? I mean it too."

Leonard grinned at her and she saw the glint of his teeth in the dim light.

"What?" she asked. "Don't get any kissy ideas, my faaaaaace…it's so bad."

Leonard didn't even bother to address the question of him staying over since he was already in his underwear. Instead, he handed her one of her nearby teddy bears and set his glasses on the side table he claimed as 'his'. Then he climbed into bed and shrugged off her insistence that should eat first; he had wolfed down a banana and had another maintenance shot of his inhaler before getting her the glass of water. "You're a very good friend, Penny," he said. "You don't even sound mad at them."

"Yeah, look at me, I deserve a friggin' medal," Penny grumbled. She watched Leonard bunch up his own pillow, before deciding there were not enough. He trotted blindly out to the living room for some more and quickly returned.

"I'm serious sweetheart," he said. "You're far more forgiving than I probably give you credit for…and I should, since you've forgiven me plenty of times."

"You forgive me for lots of crap too," she said. "Like this whole 'I love you' thing, and for that drunken, lonely mistake with Raj, and for freaking out about you proposing in bed, and for not having enough money to pay for food and electricity, just because I can't get my life in order. I really want to, I promise."

"You want to what, pay bills?"

"Get my life in order," she mumbled. "Work on my fears, and other stuff. At least I might still get some acting jobs once my nose is better. If it broke, and it was crooked, acting in this city? Forget it! It feels broken though, so I'm not sure if they were lying to me. I couldn't see the x-ray cos of all the light."

"I'm sure the doctor didn't lie," Leonard said, with a soft chuckle at her slurred babbling. "The bruising is gonna get worse too, but we can handle that."

"Like you can put up with it you mean?" Penny asked softly.

Leonard got the briefest glimpse of something he rarely saw in Penny then. It was a lack of self-confidence, or insecurity about her looks. He supposed that was the sort of business she was in, and it made sense that she was rattling on about her face and future as an actress, but she very rarely admitted that she thought she might not be good enough. Good enough for acting, or good enough for him. She portrayed absolute body-confidence almost all the time.

"Penny, you're beautiful," he simply said, wondering if in the morning she would remember any of this. Probably only snippets, at most.

Leonard finished rearranging his extra pillows and he chuckled tiredly as he sat down and tried to get comfortable. He had to wriggle around because it looked easier than it was. Leaning against a stack of pillows should have been one of the most comfortable sensations in the world, but when they were all different sizes and textures and had air pockets it was not so relaxing.

"You don't have to sleep sitting up too," Penny said when he kept fidgeting.

"I probably won't," he said. "But I want to give you a hug and sit with you for a while, and this is the best way to do it."

"Aww," Penny whispered. He had reached for her as he spoke and she leant into his side. She fought the urge to nuzzle into his neck and instead made sure her face was turned outwards, because anything that touched it at this point might-probably-maybe break it, or at least it would hurt a hell of a lot.

"Penny," Leonard said as she settled in a comfortable position. "How come Bernadette and Amy weren't here when I got home? Bernadette promised me she would stay with you. You were all alone. That was kind of dangerous."

"I sent them away. I don't know what to say to them," she said. "Do I just say it's totally okay and thank you for staying with me? After all this? Really?"

"Oh. Okay, how about this," Leonard said, feeling more relaxed as one of Penny's arms threaded around his waist and filled one of those annoying air pockets with warmth and softness. He kissed her forehead as he explained his idea. "Amy won't forgive herself until you punish her, and Bernadette probably wants to see that happen too…so until the tape comes off your nose and the bruising goes away, tell them that Amy is not your bestie, I am."

"Ohh! A suspension from bestie-hood. Amy will be devastated!" Penny said with a girlish giggle. "That's a pretty good punishment, actually. It's silly, like it means nothing really, but it will mean enough to Amy to…what's the word…assuage her guilt. Did I use it right this time, Leonard?"

"You did, Penny!" Leonard whispered proudly. They were such dorks.

"Yay for Team Leonard-and-Penny!" Penny proclaimed. She patted his chest tiredly. "Did anyone ever tell you you're a super smart sweetie-pie?"

"Oh, just my girlfriend, she tells me all the time. You know how it is…she's probably just saying it to get into my pants."

"It's true, I am," Penny said with another giggle. Suddenly she yawned and whimpered at the same time, and Leonard wrapped both his arms around her, linking her fingers with his up over her chest. Her teddy bear lay comfortably between them on Penny's lap. Leonard had never seen her sleep with one of her many soft toys before but it seemed appropriate and comforting, and she kept a few right there by the bed. If Leonard had to move away from her to sleep, he wanted her to be able to hold something, and it was kind of cute.

"Okay?" he asked her as she shuffled her hips around. "All comfy there with tonight's Team Leonard-and-Penny mascot?"

"Yes. Thank you baby," Penny whispered as her breathing deepened and she sagged against him. "Mm…you smell like your asthma medication. It's nice. I like kissing you with it."

"Penny," he whispered into her ear. He had no idea how he ever got so lucky. "I love you so much. Can I be the one to tell Amy that I'm your bestie now?"

"Can I tell you a secret?" Penny asked on another slow sigh, half-asleep.

"What's that?" Leonard asked. He looked down at her and gave her hand a squeeze in an attempt to keep her awake until she finished her thought.

Penny hummed and squeezed his hand in return.

"You always were," she whispered. "Penny's best friend to infinity and beyond! I got your back, Hofstadter!" She giggled then, and added seriously, "You can totally tell Amy, but just for until I'm better, don't tell her about the forever part because that's my own veeeeery scary, so-so-much secret. Eep!"

"To infinity huh?" Leonard asked as he nuzzled top of her head and shut his own eyes. He hated to tell her that her secret was blown, but forever sounded really nice, and true, a little scary, but suddenly it did not feel that far away.

Leonard glanced down to the floor in the dark, towards where he had lumped his pants. It was probably a good thing that Penny was drugged and asleep and sprawled across him, while the diamond ring he'd bought the day earlier was securely tucked away in his wallet in the pocket of his pants on the floor.

Leonard kept his excitement in check. He knew that it was absolutely the wrong time to slip the ring onto his best friend's finger and get all crazy-emotional about this Team Leonard-and-Penny thing. Penny was feeling sorry for herself and she was in pain and off-her-face on medication, and it was far too soon. They still had so much work to do for themselves and each other. Penny had just said minutes earlier that she wanted more time to work through her fears, even though she did love him. Leonard was okay with that.

It was also becoming more and more clear to Leonard that Penny was not going anywhere, and it made him feel incredibly safe, and more stable than he'd felt within himself for a long time. Penny might still be scared by the idea of them being together 'forever', but in her heart she didn't actually want to go anywhere. She didn't want to lose him, and she had his back. 'You're the one I'm with,' she had said the other week. Leonard was more than okay with that too. So in his wallet the ring would stay, indefinitely, until the time was right.

"Go Team!" he whispered in the dark. They had time.


End file.
